Tara and Lucy When life throws curveballs, it helps to have kitties in your corner. In this guest blog post, Tara White shares how healing it was to get involved as a volunteer with C.A.R.E.S. cat shelter in Langley. My name is Tara. I am 42, and my start at C.A.R.E.S. came from a place of deep sadness. I suffered a few large losses in a row that took me to a very low lonely place in my life. First, my marriage ended abruptly without my input; then my only child moved out. That was a strange change of pace for me. Shortly after that, the unexpected happened! My beloved 15-year-old orange tabby, Simba, passed away after a catastrophic injury from my (then) vet. I had Simba his whole life, since I was 25. Inside of me, there developed a deep level of loneliness and emptiness. I needed something to keep me busy after work, during the quietest hours. My daughter had talked about volunteering at C.A.R.E.S., and since I wanted to do something to honour my late Simba, I applied too. Shortly afterward, the lovely Carol Edwards called me about doing night meds. When I went to the shelter the first time, I found the missing piece in my life! I go to the shelter weekly doing night meds. My mom, Ann, comes with me (I get my cat lady gene from her!) and it is something we both really enjoy. I also help with writing social media posts, kitty stories, fundraising projects and anything else that I can. I love having an outlet for my energy and passion for animals! Seeing first-hand these cats getting love and finding wonderful homes has been so healing for me. I am thankful to be able to assist on behalf of my late Simba. Helping them has also helped me—more than I ever expected and has ignited a fire in me! The community of people I have met at C.A.R.E.S. is amazing. I have learned so much and have made some great friends! Now I have two kitties. Lucy, my calico queen, was born on June 28, 2020; she came to me from a friend at 8 weeks of age. Benny, my flame point Siamese, was adopted from C.A.R.E.S. and believed to be about the same age. I brought him home after meeting him at the shelter in August 2021; he was sick and underweight but sooo cute! These two are more than enough for me and help make my life more fulfilling! I look forward to where this path takes me. Tara White Volunteer, C.A.R.E.S. Canadian Animal Rescue & Extended Shelter Note: An earlier version of this story was published in the society’s newsletter, Cat Tales, in summer 2021. I’m grateful to Tara and C.A.R.E.S. for sharing their stories here. Tara volunteers with cats in honour of Simba. Benny and Lucy are best friends.
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